Fake Note, Real Love
by ChangingTheCircumstances
Summary: A suicide of a dear friend happens and when the body is found, a note is found with it that surprises everyone, most of all Harvey. Later Harvey/Mike. Rated T for now.
1. A Lover

**AN: Okay, this is my first Suits fanfic so if the characters are a little OoC I'm sorry about that. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this first chapter to Fake Note, Real Love and reviews are greatly appreciated.**

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Harvey and Mike had just finished a very successful case which usually meant going out and drinking. However, Harvey hadn't felt well at all during the case, though no one could tell, and had gone home almost immediately. Now, he woke up feeling much better and ready to start the day.

Going through his normal routine, Harvey ate breakfast, took a shower, got dressed in one of his extremely expensive suits, and was just about ready to go when his phone rang. Not bothering to check the number he answered it.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hello Harvey," replied the person on the other end. The voice, a man, sounded familiar but Harvey couldn't figure out who it was.

"Do I know you?" Harvey finally asked.

"Yes, though I doubt you remember me," the person said. "However, even though I haven't seen you in quite some time I can still picture you crystal clear in my mind. Still wearing those way to expensive suits I'm guessing."

"Who are you? What do you want?" asked Harvey as he debated whether or not he should call the police afterwards or just see if the man called again.

"You'll remember who I am eventually, either because you figure it out or I show myself to you. However, for what I want, I want to see you miserable. I want to see your life completely ruined," replied the man. "I especially know you'll have an . . . interesting day to say the least."

As the call ended Harvey decided that calling the police sounded like a very good idea. However, before he could even punch in the first nine, his phone rang again. This time he checked to see who was calling; it was Donna.

"What is it?" asked Harvey, all business like as his mind mulled over the previous conversation.

"Harvey, I'm just . . . I'm so sorry," replied Donna. She sounded like she had been crying for hours.

"Donna, are you alright? What's wrong?" asked Harvey as he wondered if something had happened at the office or if this was more a personal call.

"It's your lover Harvey," she replied, "he's dead."

_Did she just use _lover_ and _he_ in the same sentence and then say that she was referring to _my_ lover, _wondered Harvey as he slowly sat down in a chair. He wasn't romantically involved with anyone at the moment, at least not so attached that he would call them a lover and he most certainly wasn't involved with a man.

"Donna, what are you talking about?"

He could hear her murmur something along the lines of 'he's still in denial' as she replied, "Your lover died this morning, shot himself. I'm just so sorry that Mike is dead. I'm so sorry Harvey."

"Mike?"


	2. Dead or Not Dead

Donna ended up telling him that apparently Mike had shot himself in his apartment that morning and had left a note behind that apparently said something along the lines that Mike and Harvey had been in a relationship but Mike couldn't take the secrets anymore and so had killed himself.

Harvey's mind flew back to the conversation with the man before and how he had said he wanted to make Harvey miserable. And, that his day would be supposedly interesting. Harvey automatically put two and two together. Mike must have been murdered and all because Harvey had managed to piss off one guy.

Feeling like nothing was real or could be trusted anymore; Harvey drove himself to Mike's apartment. There were cop cars all around and in front of it and as Harvey approached the yellow tape a cop put his hand up to stop him. However, when he said his name was Harvey Specter, the cop said for him to go on up.

Harvey slowly walked into Mike's living room, looking extremely out of place among the many police uniforms. On the floor was a sheet that covered what could be none other than Mike. As he looked at it, Harvey felt sick to his stomach though he didn't show it.

"You're Harvey Specter?" asked a man that was obviously in charge here.

"Yes," replied Harvey.

"We're very sorry for your loss Mr. Specter," said the police man.

Just those words made Harvey want to explode but he resisted the urge and simply said, "We were not actually together. He was simply my associate."

However, it was apparent that the cop, nor anyone who was nearby and had heard his words, believed him.

"We were wondering if you could take a look at the body. We've already had someone claim its Mike Ross but it's hard to be completely sure because of . . . well I'm sure you understand."

Harvey nodded and said he would help confirm the body's identity. Nevertheless, on the inside his stomach was churning and he wanted to say 'no, I want to remember Mike when he was alive. I don't want to see him like this.' However, saying that would only make everyone become more assured that they were together, even though they weren't, and it would make himself look like a big sissy as well.

A cop pulled back the sheet and Harvey immediately felt bile rise up and into his mouth. He gave a slight nod as a yes when the police officer asked if it was Mike Ross. Harvey didn't open his mouth as he tried to swallow the bile and resist the urge to throw up right then and there.

As the sheet fell back over Mike, Harvey's phone rang. This time he checked who it was. It said restricted but he was pretty sure he knew the caller. He moved away from the police and answered it.

"Hello again Harvey," said the man on the other end.

"You killed him," whispered Harvey, his back rigid. "Why? If you hate me why kill my associate. Why not me?"

"First off, it's more fun seeing you in pain than lying dead on the floor. I especially liked how you seemed like you might throw up when you saw the body," replied the person. Harvey took a deep breath as he realized that meant whoever this was, could see him right now. "Also, I didn't kill your precious associate."

"What do you mean you didn't kill him?" asked Harvey as he lowered his voice when a police officer glanced over at him. "I saw the body, it was him."

"No, just a poor soul who had the misfortune of looking a lot like him," replied the man with an obvious grin to his voice. "Here, I'll prove it to you, say hi Mike."

For a moment there was silence until a sudden cry of pain broke it. "I said, say hi Mike," the man said again.

A few more moments of silence and then, "Sorry Harvey."

Mike's voice sounded pained and broken as he softly said the words. It broke Harvey's heart, even if many people believed he didn't have one, as he said, "What do you want?"

"For the moment, nothing," replied the man. "Just one other thing, if you go to the police, little Mike will end up having his brains blown up."

The call ended.


	3. What to do

**AN: Thanks so much for the story alerts! Hope you like this next chapter.**

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If this mystery figure wanted to make Harvey miserable he had succeed. Part of his reason for being so down was of course the fact that Mike was hurt and kidnapped because of him and he couldn't tell anyone he was actually alive. However, a big part of it was how quickly the damn rumor had gone around as well. That Mike and Harvey had been lovers, even though it was a complete lie. Nevertheless, practically every person who looked at Harvey either glanced at him in sympathy, surprise, or both.

However, the one thing that really pissed Harvey off was when he saw Louis coming towards him. After everything that had happened he did not want to deal with him. But, much to his surprise, Louis didn't say some annoying, stuck up remark. Instead, he said, "I'm really sorry for your loss Harvey. Mike was a good kid."

_Did someone replace you with an alien_, thought Harvey. He couldn't believe what Louis was saying.

"If there's anything you need just tell me."

"I'll be fine," replied Harvey. He hadn't meant it to but his voice sounded cold, even to himself as he said those words. Turning away, Harvey quickly headed to his office and drowned himself in his work. Both Rachel and Donna stopped by but Harvey pushed them both away every time. It was rude of him but at that moment he really didn't care.

When he finally went home, the sky was dark. In truth, he didn't want to go home because going home meant free time and free time meant having to think about all that had happened today. However, as he walked into his house, his eyes fell on a folder that was lying on the counter. A folder that Harvey was nearly positive hadn't been there before.

Slowly, almost like he was approaching a wild animal or a live bomb, Harvey walked over to it. On top was printed, _For Harvey_, in large bold letters. Carefully, he opened it and once again had to fight the rising bile in his throat.

The folder contained multiple pictures of Mike, tied up and gagged. In one of the pictures a TV was showing in the background the six o'clock news of today. A small, typed letter said, _'Just a little proof showing that I haven't killed him yet_.'

Harvey let his head fall into his hands as he wondered what he should do.

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Mike didn't want to cry but he couldn't help it. He was already biting his lip so hard that blood was trickling down his chin as he tried to ignore the pain. His wrists were raw from the rope that bound them against the chair and the gag was making it hard to swallow in his dry mouth. A bump had already formed on his head where the guy had hit him.

At the moment, Mike was looking at the ground. However, he immediately looked up when he heard footsteps. The man was back again. He was about average height, average weight and looked to be in his early fifties, late forties. His hair was beginning to go gray and his eyes were a light green. Wearing regular everyday clothes, he looked like any person you might cross on the street.

"Don't worry Mike," said the man as he walked over to him. "Just about a week of this and that should be enough. Then you'll be free to go and I can kill Harvey."

Upon seeing Mike's panicked expression the man laughed. "You really do care for him don't you? I wonder if good old Harvey knows your dirty little secret."


	4. Location

**AN: Thanks for the review CazB. I'm happy you're enjoying this so far. Thanks again for all the story alerts as well.**

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A week had passed and to put it simply, it had been the worst week of Harvey's life. Everyone was extremely worried about him which really only added to the stress that was already there because he couldn't stop thinking of Mike. Everyday a folder would appear on his counter top with proof that Mike was alive. In each group of photos, Mike looked more haggard and pained as the days passed.

Throughout that entire time, Harvey had gone through a good number of past cases, trying to figure out who would want to hurt him. The problem wasn't that there weren't enough possible suspects; the problem was that there were to many. For once in Harvey's life, he wished he wasn't such a jerk all the time.

However, being a jerk was certainly what he had been doing for the past week. Mostly because everyone kept looking at him like they expected him to jump off a bridge from grief. He was about to jump off a bridge but it was from the stress of worrying about Mike and how annoying everyone else was, not grief.

Currently, it was a Saturday, his day off. Harvey had been tempted to go to work today just so it would give him something to do but he decided to see if he could catch the mystery man in the act, since Harvey was positive he would leave a folder with proof of Mike still being alive. Granted, if this man was as good as he seemed, it was very doubtful that Harvey would catch him putting the folder down.

At about five in the afternoon there was a knock on the door. Harvey rushed to see who it was but they were already gone. Harvey then looked down and spotted the same folder. Picking it up, he went back inside and sat on his couch as opened it up.

Instead of photos, however, there was a piece of paper with a time and location.

"So," murmured Harvey, "you finally want to meet face to face."

The time was eleven thirty that night and the location Harvey had to look up. Lucky for him, the location was to an abandoned apartment complex that was planned to be demolished in two or three days. _Sounds safe_, Harvey thought sarcastically. Truthfully, he figured that this was probably a trap but if there was any chance of finally ending this thing then he would.

Dressed in his only pair of jeans and a simple button down shirt, at eleven o'clock Harvey started on his way to the location. When he got there it was five minutes until eleven thirty but he doubted whoever had set this up would really mind.

The front door was bordered up so Harvey went around and found a side door. The place looked just as bad on the outside as it did on the inside. There was one section where the ceiling had fallen in and he hoped that Mike wasn't somewhere upstairs. Harvey didn't really feel like falling through the ceiling today.

When Harvey made his way into what was probably once a living room he saw him. Mike wasn't tied and gagged to a chair like he had been in the pictures. Instead, he was lying on the floor, trying to get up. He looked like he had gone through hell.

Harvey rushed to him. Upon seeing him, Mike whispered, "It's a trap Harvey."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that," muttered Harvey as he pulled Mike up so that he was standing. He had to support almost all his weight.

"But you came anyway?" asked Mike in surprise.

"Yep, I didn't feel like having to look for a new associate," replied Harvey.

"Joking at a time like this," a voice suddenly said, "really, is this the time for jokes?"

Harvey looked towards a doorway as a man walked into the room. He seemed familiar but he couldn't put an exact name down. "And you are?"

"You don't even remember the name of the men and women you ruin? That's a little rude don't you think," replied the mystery man. "I'm Mark Farragut."

"Ah," now it made since. "I made you lose your business."

"And with it, all my money, most of my friends, my house, even my wife left with the children," replied Mark.

"Well, I don't think it should be my fault that your wife suddenly realized that her taste in men was terrible," Harvey shot back.

"Say something like that again and I'll shoot you were you stand," Mark then said as he pulled out a gun.

"I'm going to guess that was obtained illegally."

"Are you really that eager on being shot?" Harvey quickly shut up. "That's better," replied Mark. "Either way, though, I'm still going to shoot you. That's why you're here."

"What about Mike?"

"Don't worry, I'll let the kid go free though he'll have a hard time explaining why he isn't dead to everyone," he said with a laugh. As Mark took another step forward he released the safety and cocked the gun. "Say good bye Harvey Specter."

It was probably an adrenaline rush that allowed Mike to move so quickly. For always caring, always kind Mike did something that very few people would do. He jumped in front of the bullet.

"NO!"


	5. Confession

Many people would have either panicked or try to catch Mike as he fell. However, doing either of those things could give the man enough time to shoot his gun again so Harvey didn't. Instead he rushed him, grabbing hold of the gun as he tried to pull it away. It went off but thankfully was pointed at the ceiling and not at Harvey's face. He kicked Mark down to the ground, finally taking the gun away. A swift hit to the head knocked him out.

The moment he wasn't a threat Harvey ran to where Mike had fallen. The bullet had hit around the area of his right lung. Thankfully that wasn't near his heart but with the condition he was in it was possible that Mike could still die. While applying pressure to the area so it would slow the bleeding, Harvey took out his cell phone, extremely thankful he had brought it, and called 911.

By the time the police and the ambulance got there, Mike had already passed out and the only sign that he was still alive was that his chest moved up and down with each shallow breath.

The paramedics of course dragged Harvey away. He understood why, they needed room to work but that didn't mean he didn't want to stay by Mike's side. The police wanted to talk to him of course, Harvey wanted to tell them to leave him the hell alone so he could get the facts straight himself, but he answered all their questions as best he could.

Afterwards, he drove to the hospital and waited to see what the doctors would say about Mike's condition. As he waited he was extremely surprised to see Donna coming towards him. He was even more surprised when she hugged him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked even though it was a really stupid question. She was here to see Mike of course.

"I heard that Mike was alive. What happened Harvey, are you okay?" she asked.

Harvey explained it to her as best he could and as he talked, he realized that Donna still thought that they were together. He would have set the record straight if he wasn't so tired and so he simply rolled with it.

It seemed like forever until finally a doctor came towards them. Harvey and Donna stood up as the doctor approached him. "My name is Dr. Garner," he said as he shook each of their hands. He glanced over at Donna and asked, "Are you Mike Ross' wife or simply a friend?"

"Just a friend," Donna quickly said and before Harvey could say anything she added, "Harvey here is with him."

Dr. Garner nodded in understanding but didn't make any remark at least. "Mr. Ross seems like he'll make it. We got the bullet out with little trouble and though it did puncture a lung it thankfully isn't to serious. However, he will probably have to stay here for a little while because he is dehydrated and undernourished."

_That damn Mark didn't even bother to give him water or food_, thought Harvey in rage. However, he didn't say anything and just nodded his understanding.

"He's awake now if you'd like to see him. We do have him on painkillers though," continued Dr. Garner.

Harvey nodded as Donna said that they would very much like to see him. The doctor took them to Mike's room and then left. Mike's wrists' were heavily bandaged and a few cuts that Harvey hadn't seen before where bandaged as well. There seemed to be a lot more bruises along Mike's body too and he was hooked up to an IV drip.

His eyes were closed but when he heard them come into the room he groggily opened up his eyes. "Hey, guys," he said, his voice heavy from the painkillers.

"Hey Mike," Donna said. "I can't even express how happy I am that you're here right now."

"I thought I looked like hell," Mike muttered back with a small smile.

"As long as you're alive I don't care how you look," she said as she gave him a slight hug, careful to not hurt him.

Through this little exchange Harvey had stayed by the door. When Donna looked back at him she then turned to Mike and said, "I'm just happy you're going to be okay now. I'll give you two some privacy now."

Mike's face went red as she said that but kept silent as she left the room. Harvey remained where he was for quite some time until finally Mike asked, "Do you want to sit down?"

Harvey moved to one of the chairs and pulled it up beside Mike's bed and sat down. They still remained silent for a while until Mike finally said, "I'm sorry."

"What are you saying sorry for?" asked Harvey. "It's my fault that you got into this mess."

"No I mean . . . the note. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have to be going through the idea of everyone thinking we were a couple."

"How is it your fault? Did you give him the idea while he was kidnapping you because you thought it would be more annoying for me or something?"

Mike gave a slight shake of his head, his eyes closed. "He got the idea because he _knew_. I don't know how he found out but he did."

"What did he find out?" asked Harvey, confused at where this was going.

"He got the idea because I actually do like you," said Mike as if saying the words out loud physically hurt him. "I've liked, maybe even loved you for a while now and I'm so sorry."

When Harvey didn't say anything Mike finally opened his eyes. There was a reason why Harvey hadn't replied.

He had left the room.


	6. Nightmares in the Hospital

**AN: Thank you so much for the reviews. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

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Harvey hadn't expected that. He had been so caught up with what other people thought that the idea that Mike might actually like him hadn't crossed his mind and probably surprised him more than anything. After walking around the hospital a few minutes as he tried to calm his beating heart, he went back to Mike's room. However, he was asleep now which actually reassured him a good bit. Nevertheless, he suddenly felt like an ass for leaving so suddenly as he saw the tears around Mike's eyes.

As he sat back down, he began talking, even though Mike was asleep and couldn't hear him. "I'm sorry I left. It was rude. It just . . . surprised me to say the least. Truthfully, I don't understand how you could like someone like me. I always put myself above others and I don't care about my clients. You, you deserve some sweet, nice girl, or I guess guy. You're kind and sweet; you should be with someone that is like that, not me." Harvey paused as he looked at Mike, half expecting him to say something. However, he remained silent as Harvey continued talk.

"You really worried me you know. Not just when I thought you were dead but when you jumped in front of that bullet. It was a stupid move and you shouldn't have done it though I do appreciate it of course." As Harvey talked, his words became more stretched out and softer until he fell asleep as well.

The next morning when Harvey woke up he saw that Mike was already awake. When Mike saw Harvey move he quickly looked away, his face going red. "You came back," he stated simply.

"Yeah, I couldn't just leave you by yourself. Besides, it's nicer when you don't have to wake up alone," replied Harvey.

Mike gave a slight nod of agreement. For the rest of the day Harvey stayed with him. Neither one talked about what had happened the night before even though the scene was playing through both their minds. A few visitors came by as well which of course included Donna and Rachel. Louis even came which annoyed both Harvey and Mike but they played nice.

Mike ended up getting a call from his grandmother as well. She talked so loudly that Harvey heard the entire conversation. Mike's face went completely red when he mentioned that Harvey had saved him and she replied with, "Oh, you mean that nice man that you're always gushing over."

"Um . . . yeah," Mike finally said, his face burning.

Still, after Mike had ended the call Harvey didn't ask anything. Instead, they began to talk about work which was a lot easier for both of them. Eventually, though, Harvey decided that he had best go home. Really, he wanted to stay with Mike and make sure he was okay through the night but it was awkward enough and his back didn't feel like it could sleep in that chair another night. Thankfully Mike said it was okay and they left it at that.

The next day, however, when Harvey saw Mike it was like he had taken a step back in recovery. He was white as a sheet and where the IV drip had been before was a bandage. It was now attached to his other hand.

"Mike what happened?" he asked as he tried to keep his voice steady but couldn't help it as it went up two notches.

"Hey Harvey," Mike replied shakily as he took an unsteady breath.

"I'm going to ask you again and you're going to tell me, what happened?" asked Harvey as he walked over to the bedside.

Mike stayed silent for a few moments, obviously not wanting to say anything. However, he finally caved under Harvey's steady glare. "I had a nightmare."

"A nightmare? When did you wake up?" asked Harvey. It was already ten o'clock in the morning.

"About seven thirty," replied Mike.

Damn, two and a half hours later and Mike still was as white as a sheet.

"I started thrashing around and tore out the IV drip. The doctors put it on this hand now."

"What was the nightmare of?" asked Harvey.

Mike took a deep breath as he replied, "We were back at the abandoned building and Mark had the gun out. He fired but in the dream I wasn't able to get in front of you. You fell down, bleeding really badly. Mark came over and started kicking you and you were yelling out in pain and I couldn't do anything and—"

He stopped as he felt Harvey's hand on his head. The touch was so gentle, kind, and so extremely un-Harvey that Mike froze up.

"But that didn't happen. I'm fine, you're going to be okay, and that was simply a nightmare. Yeah, it might have scared you at the time but there's no point in dwelling on it. You'll be okay." As Harvey said this his hand went from being on Mike's head to slowly stroking his cheek.

The moment, however, was suddenly ruined when a nurse came in. Harvey shoved his hands behind his back, as Mike jumped. Both were red in the face. Thankfully the nurse didn't say anything but after she left there was an uncomfortable silence.

Finally, Harvey stuttered, "I'm . . . I'm sorry I have to be going now." In truth, Harvey didn't have anywhere to go but his thoughts were swirling out of control and he needed to get them straight.

"Yeah, you should probably go," Mike replied, looking down at the sheets.

Harvey's heart seemed to miss a beat at his words but didn't say anything and quickly left the hospital. It was only when Harvey was actually outside that he realized Mike's words had hurt him, even if it was a response that Harvey had expected.


	7. Thinking of You

**AN: Obviously I have nothing better to do today but I am perfectly okay with that. Thanks for the reviews. Hope you like this chapter.**

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_What's happening to you Harvey? You're turning into a freaking girl,_ thought Harvey to himself as he paced back and forth in his living room. He couldn't believe he had done that. Granted, Mike had needed someone to console him but Harvey just didn't do that. He didn't stroke people's cheeks and tell them they'd be alright and yet that was exactly what he had done.

And then there was the fact that Mike's words had hurt him so much. They shouldn't have hurt because Harvey had gone to far. He had made Mike uncomfortable and that's why he said what he had.

_He didn't seem uncomfortable when he was actually leaning into your hand._

Urg! His thoughts were really out of control right now. Harvey fell down onto his couch as he tried to get his thoughts of Mike in an order that he could understand.

* * *

Mike couldn't sleep. Well, it wasn't that he couldn't, it was that he was afraid to fall asleep. He didn't want to experience another nightmare like he had the night before so he figured the best thing to do was to concentrate on something.

The first thing that popped into his mind was Harvey.

God he wished he hadn't said those words earlier. He hadn't wanted Harvey to go. He had wanted him to stay there but he figured that Harvey was uncomfortable and wouldn't want to stay. However, Mike felt like he had said the wrong thing upon seeing Harvey's reaction.

Yet, that reaction didn't make much sense either. Harvey didn't like Mike, at least not in the way that Mike liked him, and yet he had seen Harvey act more human than ever before. His hand had been so soft against his cheek, the moment had been perfect.

And then that dang nurse had walked in.

He wished they could have stayed like that forever but Mike had learned long ago that you don't always get what you want. And he wanted Harvey, more than he had wanted anyone else. However, not only did he doubt that would ever happen but he knew that Harvey deserved more than him.

The thought made tears want to come to his eyes but he sucked it up. At this point, he was beginning to get tired. He tried to fight against it but finally his eyes closed and he fell asleep. He did have a nightmare and woke up drenched in sweat in the morning but thankfully he hadn't ripped out the IV again.

* * *

Five days had passed, so in total Mike had been in the hospital for a week. Despite how awkward it sometimes got, Harvey always came at least once a day. Sometimes he'd stay the entire day and other times he would stay for only a little while and then run off when it got embarrassing between them. However, Mike could always count on Harvey so it was nice when he was around.

Today, Harvey surprised him enough though that he started choking on the crappy hospital food.

He had said, "What do you think about staying with me for a while?"

"Did I hear you right?" asked Mike in disbelief.

"Depends on if you heard the question 'what do you think about staying with me for a while.' If you did then yeah, you heard me right," replied Harvey.

"Why the offer if you don't mind me asking?"

"The doctor says that you can go home now but that someone should look in on you for the first week or two just to make sure you're okay. Personally, I don't want to have to stop by your apartment every day though so it would be easier if you just stayed with me for a little while."

Harvey said it nonchalantly but there seemed to be genuine concern behind it. Of course, Mike could be completely imagining that. "Yeah, I'd be fine with that."

Harvey seemed surprised that Mike had agreed but that surprise quickly turned into joy, and then Harvey quickly wiped it off his face before Mike could see it.

"Cool, after you're looked over one more time then you can be discharged."


	8. Thunderstorm

**AN: Eat dinner or update another chapter. I think I'll go with the second choice. Once again, thanks for all the reviews and I hope you like this next chapter.**

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When Mike was discharged and in regular clothes he and Harvey got ready to leave. As Mike got ready to get out of the hospital bed, hopefully for the last time, Harvey asked, "You haven't gotten to walk around a lot, do you want me to help you?"

"What do you think I am, a child?" asked Mike. "I can stand just fine on my own."

However, he was quickly proven wrong as his knees buckled under him and Harvey caught him before he fell to the floor. "Yep, doing just fine on your own," mocked Harvey as Mike gave him a playful glare. "Are you sure you don't want me to get a wheel chair for you?"

"Nah, I'm okay now," replied Mike as Harvey let go. "Can we stop by my place so that I can get a few things though?"

"Of course, did you expect me to let you borrow my clothes or something?" asked Harvey with a smile as he imagined Mike in his clothes. Not only would it look weird for him wearing things that expensive but they would look to big on him as well.

"Yeah, defiantly never going to wear your clothes," Mike replied with a smile.

Mike didn't grab to much more besides his clothes and a few books when they arrived at his apartment. Not long after they were back at Harvey's place as he helped Mike put his things up in the spare bedroom. Afterwards Harvey asked him what he wanted to eat.

"I'd be fine with anything after that hospital food," replied Mike.

"Pizza?"

"Fine with me," said Mike as he really looked around Harvey's place. It was extremely nice and really made Mike realize how bad his own apartment probably looked to Harvey every time he saw the place. "Hey Harvey?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"When can I go back to work?"

"The doctor suggested that you wait for two weeks but I'm sure one week will be fine. Besides, everyone is still getting use to the fact that you're not dead, even if that was nearly a week ago," replied Harvey.

After eating they ended up watching a random movie on TV. Neither one was really paying attention to it though as their head was filled with thoughts of the person beside them. After the movie was finished they both went to bed. Before Harvey fell asleep he noted that it looked like it might start storming in a few minutes.

Harvey woke with a start. As lightning made his room light up, he figured that some thunder had caused him to wake up so quickly. He glanced at his alarm clock that read two o'clock a.m. and was just about to go back to bed when he heard the real noise that had woke him up, a scream.

Mike.

Harvey practically vaulted out of bed as he rushed to the spare room where Mike was sleeping. Upon seeing him thrashing around, Harvey rushed over to him as he shouted, "Mike! Wake up, you're okay!"

Mike's eyes flashed open, filled with complete terror. However, when he saw Harvey there he immediately calmed down and practically hugged him tighter than he thought possible, tears streaming down his face.

"It's okay Mike, you're okay," Harvey repeated over and over again, to surprised by Mike's reaction to do anything else.

As Mike cried it out, he whispered, "Please don't leave me."

"I won't," replied Harvey.

Eventually Mike fell asleep, still clinging to Harvey. Carefully, he lay him down onto the bed. Harvey almost got up to go when he remembered that he had promised Mike he wouldn't leave him. Biting his lip Harvey slowly lay down next to him. After a few minutes, he realized it wasn't nearly as strange or awkward as he thought it would be. It was actually kind of nice and, though there were still tear stains on his face, Mike looked so much more peaceful now. Even a little bit adorable.

Harvey began to get sleepy again when his eyes opened up at the feeling of a hand. Though he was still asleep, Mike had scooted closer so that he was right against Harvey and now was clutching the front of Harvey's shirt. Once again, the position was anywhere near as awkward as he expected. Like before, it just felt nice . . . and right.


	9. A Soft Peck

Mike found that he was extremely comfortable and warm. As he wondered why that was, his mind tried to remember what had happened the night before. When it came to him, his eyes flashed open and he immediately froze up.

Harvey's arms were wrapped around him, their legs entangled, as Mike's head rested against Harvey's chest. He could feel Harvey's deep even breathes as he slept.

For a moment, Mike didn't know what to do. He remembered how he had asked Harvey not to leave him and Harvey had said he wouldn't but Mike was still surprised that he had stayed nonetheless. Also, knowing how Harvey was, Mike decided that he would probably be pretty embarrassed when he woke up and decided that he would remain 'asleep' for his benefit, that and he was just to comfortable at the moment.

Mike was almost asleep again when Harvey woke up. "Well this is embarrassing," muttered Harvey softly to himself as Mike resisted the urge to smile.

Harvey carefully untangled himself from Mike when he suddenly paused. Mike was tempted to open his eyes but didn't. He felt the bed shift as Harvey leaned back towards him. Feeling Harvey's fingers slowly stroke his cheek, Mike once again resisted the urge to open his eyes.

Then he felt Harvey's lips softly press against his forehead.

It was quick, really more of peck than anything, but Mike's heart did several summersaults all the same. Harvey then moved off the bed and walked out of the bedroom. Only when he was positive that he was gone did Mike open his eyes.

He could barely believe what had happened. In fact, he was so surprised that he didn't move at all until his racing thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of his stomach growling. Well, he might as well get up now.

For a moment, he debated whether or not to get dressed first but decided that he might as well just stay in his pajamas. It wasn't like they would go out to eat, though it wouldn't surprise Mike if Harvey did go to some fancy restaurant for breakfast every now and then.

What really surprised him, though, was when he found Harvey cooking.

"You cook?" If Mike's sudden appearance surprised him Harvey didn't show it.

"Normally, no, but seeing as you're here I thought I might as well," replied Harvey without even looking up. He was in his pajamas, a plain shirt and pajama bottoms. They looked like something you could buy at Targets which in itself was a surprise. Harvey's hair also wasn't full of whatever he put in it every day though Mike still wouldn't call it messy. Just, more casual.

"Are you just going to stand there staring or are you actually going to sit down?" Harvey suddenly asked.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Mike quickly said as he sat on a stool. As he watched Harvey cook he said, "Sorry about last night."

"It's alright," replied Harvey. A few moments later he asked, "What was it about?"

"You were being tortured and I couldn't do anything to stop it," Mike simply said and they both left it at that. Silence befell the kitchen except for the sounds of the food cooking.

When it was finally done, Harvey put eggs and bacon onto a plate and put it in front of Mike. Upon seeing his skeptical look Harvey sarcastically said, "By the way, I couldn't find the oil so I had to use rat poison instead."

"Ha, ha, very funny," Mike muttered with a roll of his eyes. As Harvey sat down next to him Mike took his first bite and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Better than hospital food?" asked Harvey with a grin.

"Defiantly. What kind of rat poison did you use?" The question caused Harvey to laugh and Mike smiled at the fact that he had actually made him give a genuine laugh.

They ate mostly in silence which gave Mike time to think. He thought about how it seemed his chances of Harvey liking him back had sky rocketed but Mike still couldn't be sure. By the time that they had both nearly finished their meal, Mike finally commented, "Your lips are pretty soft."

Harvey started choking on his last bite of food as Mike winced, keeping a mental note to make sure that he should see if the person is still eating before he says something like that. Harvey, who now had stopped coughing, looked down at the counter as his face turned bright red, a site very rare in deed.

"So you were awake," Harvey said. It was a statement, not a question.

Mike gave a slight nod, hoping that Harvey would say something else. However, Mike ended up having to break the silence as he asked, "Was that just like a . . . get well kiss or something between two friends?"

Harvey stayed silent as he thought it over in his head. Finally, he said, "No, it's more complicated than that. It's all more complicated."


	10. Submissive

"It's not that complicated. Do you like me or not?" asked Mike.

Harvey wanted to give him a straight forward answer but he couldn't. "I . . . I don't know," he said truthfully. "I think I do . . . but I can't be sure."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not sure if I actually . . . like you or if I'm just feeling protective, or something along the lines of that because of what happened."

Mike stayed silent for a few moments until he finally said, "I still love you."

"I hate it when you say that," sighed Harvey as he let his head fall into his hands.

"Why?" Mike asked, confused by his reaction.

"Because I can't give you any assurance," replied Harvey. "You say it so easily and all I can do is say 'maybes' and 'I don't knows.'"

"I can wait," replied Mike like it was the simplest thing in the world and, to him, it might have been. However, Harvey didn't want to make Mike wait, he deserved someone who would care for him and wouldn't make him wait. Then, Harvey got an idea into his head. It might help him decide if he did or didn't like Mike. He would only know if he actually executed his plan.

So, Harvey turned his full body towards Mike, took his face in his hands, and kissed him right on the mouth. It was easy to say that Mike was extremely surprised but he didn't push Harvey away. Why would he? He had wanted to kiss Harvey the moment he had realized that he wasn't anywhere near as big a jerk as he pretended to be. Even though he rarely showed it, Harvey did have a kinder softer side. It was one of the reasons why Mike had fallen for him in the first place.

Mike melted as he opened his mouth and let Harvey in. A small part of him just knew that Harvey would probably make a joke about him being to submissive later on but he didn't care. They probably could have kept going on for quite some time if it wasn't for the fact that they nearly fell of the stools.

Breaking apart, both breathing hard, Mike couldn't help the ridiculous smile appear on his face. "So," he said, "do you normally kiss all your friends like that?"

The comment made Harvey chuckle as he said, "No, I don't normally kiss any of my friends."

"I'm guessing you were testing yourself."

"You know me so well," replied Harvey with a grin. "Yes, I wanted to see how it felt. Obviously if I was disgusted by it or it at least felt awkward then all I feel for you would be because I've been feeling protective over you."

"And you felt . . ."

"It was . . . nice," Harvey finally admitted. "Certainly different, but not really even awkward."

"It wasn't awkward for me either especially since your lips feel like a girl's. Do you put Chap Stick on them so they don't crack?" asked Mike with a smile.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Harvey asked and just the way he said it once again made Mike's heart stutter.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about telling anyone," Mike said.

"Huh, I didn't think about that," said Harvey. Mike was right of course and now that he thought about it, there was a lot less stress on him since he didn't have to tell anyone. They already thought they had been together for a while now.

"So do you love me?" Mike then asked. It was a simple question, one that could be spoken in one breath yet it held so much weight.

"I most defiantly care about you," Harvey replied. "However, you got to remember that this is still pretty sudden for me. You, on the other hand lover boy, I'm guessing have been head over heels for me for quite some time."

"I wouldn't say head of heels," replied Mike with a grin that said that was exactly how he felt about Harvey.

"How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long have you liked me?"

Mike stayed silent for a little while as he thought about it and then finally said, "About nine months I suppose."

"And you didn't make a move?" asked Harvey with a raised eyebrow.

"I was scared okay!" Mike replied as he crossed his arms. "Not everyone has your annoying air of over confidence."

"But I thought that was why you liked me so much."

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**AN: Hope you liked this. One more chapter to go and then I'm done.**


	11. Epilouge

Mike still continued to have nightmares but they didn't scare him as much anymore. Harvey always was there, holding him tight, protecting him. Sometimes he'd come when he heard Mike scream or yell and stay there 'till the morning but most of the time he'd stay with him all night. Those nights Mike always slept peacefully, wrapped in Harvey's arms.

At work, everything had slowly gone back to normal. Granted there were a few looks from other associates or higher ups but besides that nothing changed. Rachel was Rachel, Donna was Donna, and Louis was just as annoying as ever now that he could make stabs at Mike or Harvey's sexuality. Though it annoyed Harvey to no end, Mike just ignored it and was normally the one to pull Harvey away before he started throwing punches.

As far as home went, that was a little more confusing. Even though Harvey hadn't officially said that Mike was living with him it certainly seemed like that. Mike still had his apartment and a good bit of his stuff was still there but he rarely went back there. It was like once he had stepped into Harvey's home he hadn't wanted to leave and thankfully Harvey hadn't told him to.

Now, the day was coming to a close and Harvey and Mike were going home. Though Mike still liked to ride his bike, he normally went to and from work with Harvey now. As they walked in Harvey surprised Mike by pulling him towards the couch and making him fall into his lap.

"I would ask if you'd missed me but we work together so . . ." Mike trailed off as Harvey laughed. "So what's this? You've never been one for cuddling except for maybe in bed."

"Just something I wanted to tell you," murmured Harvey as he let his lips trail along Mike's neck.

"What is it?" asked Mike curiously as he leaned back.

"I love you."

Mike froze at the words, wondering if he was dreaming. "You've never . . . that was the first time you've . . ."

"First time I've said it, I know," replied Harvey. "And, it won't be the last."

The promise made Mike's heart flutter at the idea. "I've said it to you quite a bit now. I deserve to hear it again today."

"Greedy greedy," whispered Harvey but Mike could feel his smile against the back of his neck. "I love you."

Mike shivered as Harvey pulled him even closer.

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**AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. It was greatly appreciated and I hope you liked this story as a whole.**


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